Costa Linda Condominiums

We visited Costa Rica for the whole month of March. The Costa Linda condominium (2nd floor) was a good choice for a first experience. The condo was very clean and the grounds are incredibly well maintained. The condo had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, den, living-dining room (1 TV) and a clothes washer/dryer. AC was quiet and efficient. There was also a nice patio with a mini-table and 2 chairs. The owner provided us with a full list of what was included before our arrival, so we knew exactly what we had to bring or purchase locally. A lot of good quality towels were provided, covering all our needs. Hot water was OK, but it takes a few minutes to be usable. Shower heads were quite plugged with lime deposit, which we cleaned with some vinegar, so as to get a normal stream instead of an uncontrolled spray. A lot of tv channels, with free wifi. Wifi was ok for basic usage, but too slow for streaming! Our interface with the management was done through a company called Mitman Property Management. Noemi Thomas was the office assistant taking care of us. She did an incredible job in helping us with the booking, transport from and to the airport etc...with a fast response time to our questions and inquiries. The pool area is quite big and very quiet during the week. On weekends, it's another story. Looks like owners are using the condos as weekend getaway, so starting on Friday afternoon until Sunday noon, the pool area is overpacked with families and their friends. The only negative point for the pool area, is the lack of respect for renters, even if you are there for many weeks or months; we really felt like second class citizens. When you come to the pool, you are told by the security guard that you cannot sit on the grassed area near the pool and must go to a deck, which can accept 20-30 people at most. Where it hurts the most, is during weekdays, where you are almost alone in the pool area (2-6 people) security guards are always watching you, so you do not even dare go sit around the pool. If you do, they come and tell you, politely but insisting a lot, to move to the deck. In March, the daily temperature was around 33C, so we stayed in our air conditioned condo between 11:00 and 14:00 and went to the pool only in the afternoon. Security at the Costa Linda is quite impressive, with armed guards patrolling the property day and night, 24/7. Meanwhile, this security system is a little too much, when you consider that they put a wide, bright orange bracelet on your arm when you arrive and you are expected to keep it all the time, to show that you are a "VISITOR"; also, printed on the bracelet are the Costa Linda name, your building and condo number. As a consequence, when you go into town, people know that you are a visitor renting at the Costa Linda Condo with your exact address. With this clear ID, salespeople and charity beggers drop on you like flies, when you walk downtown. We promptly removed the wrist bands and kept them in our pocket as was done by all the other long term renters. Access to the beach is a 5-10 min walk. Access to grocery and shopping areas in Jaco, is a 20 min walk or a 3$ taxi ride. A Bank of Costa Rica office is a 5 min walk towards the city. You need your passport to do transactions in the bank but they are very helpful.